iPhone 4S cleared for sale in China

Could be on sale this month

Apple's ubiquitous iPhone 4S has been cleared to go on sale in China, a country well-known for its tight controls on the internet and technology.

The country's internet and wireless communications are overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), who granted the iPhone a network access permit on 6 December.

The handset has been granted a three-year Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Certificate, essential for it to be legally sold in China.

Lock down

Traditionally phones sold in China aren't locked to a particular operator, but the introduction of the iPhone in 2009 brought with it Apple's requirement for the phone to only be available on certain networks.

The 4S will be sold by China Unicom, one of the country's state-operated telecommunications providers. It's expected to be on sale around or after Christmas this year, with the company investing in network testing and staff training.

50 per cent of the world's mobile phones are manufactured in China, and it's an industry that shifts 190 million units a year.